--Provide Fleet Marine Forces of combined arms, together with supporting air components, for service with the United States Fleet in the seizure or defense of advanced naval bases and for the conduct of such land operations as may be essential to the prosecution of a naval campaign.

--Provide detachments and organizations for service on armed vessels of the Navy, and security detachments for the protection of naval property at naval stations and bases.

--Develop, in coordination with the Army, Navy, and Air Force, the doctrines, tactics, techniques, and equipment employed by landing forces in amphibious operations. The Marine Corps shall have primary interest in the development of those landing force doctrines, tactics, techniques, and equipment whichare of common interest to the Army and the Marine Corps.

--Provide, as required, Marine forces for airborne operations, in coordination with the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force and in accordance with doctrines established by the Joint Chief of Staff.

--Develop, in coordination with the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force, doctrines, procedures, and equipment of interest to the Marine Corps for airborne operations which are not provided for by the Army.

--Be prepared, in accordance with integrated joint mobilization plans, for the expansion of the peacetime components to meet the needs of war.

--Perform such other duties as the President may direct.

The collateral functions of the Marine Corps are to:

--Maintain a Marine Corps Reserve for the purpose of providing trained units and qualified individuals to be available for active duty in the Marine Corps in time of war or national emergency and at such other times as the national security may require.

--Provide Marine officer and enlisted personnel in support of the Department of State security program overseas.

The implied functions of the Marine Corps are to:

--Organize, train, and equip Marine Corps forces for assignment to unified and specified commands in support of national war plans.

--Assign such forces to unified and specified commands, as directed.

--Support Marine Corps and other forces assigned to unified and specified commands, as directed.

--Be prepared, in accordance with integrated joint mobilization plans, to expand peacetime components to meet the needs of war. Marine Corps aviation shall be organized to provide supporting air components for the Fleet Marine Forces in the seizure or defense of advanced naval bases and in the conduct of such land operations as may be essential to the prosecution of a naval campaign; and, as a collateral function, to participate as an integral component of naval aviation in the execution of such other Navy functions as the fleet commanders may direct.

"USMC" redirects here. For other uses, see USMC (disambiguation).

United States Marine Corps

USMC logo.svg

United States Marine Corps portal

Active

10 November 1775 – present (237 years, 6 months)

Country

United States of America

Type

Marine combined arms

Role

Amphibious and expeditionary warfare

Size

195,000 active (as of February 2013)[1]

40,000 reserve (as of 2010)[2]

Part of

Department of the Navy (since 1834)

Headquarters

MCB Quantico, Prince William County, Virginia, U.S.

Motto

Semper Fidelis

Colors

Scarlet & Gold[3]

March

"Semper Fidelis" About this sound Play (help·info)

"The Marine's Hymn"

Mascot

English Bulldog[4][5]

Engagements

American Revolutionary War

Quasi-War

First and Second Barbary Wars

War of 1812

Seminole Wars

Mexican–American War

American Civil War

Spanish–American War

Philippine–American War

Boxer Rebellion

Banana Wars

World War I

World War II

Korean War

Vietnam War

Iranian Hostage Rescue

Invasion of Grenada

1986 bombing of Libya

Invasion of Panama

Persian Gulf War

Somali Civil War

Bosnian War

1998 bombing of Iraq

Kosovo War

War in Afghanistan

Iraq War

Operation Odyssey Dawn

Decorations

Streamer PUC Navy.PNG

Streamer PUC Army.PNG

Presidential Unit Citation

Streamer JMUA.PNG

Joint Meritorious Unit Award

Navy Unit Commendation streamer.png

Navy Unit Commendation

Streamer VUA Army.PNG

Valorous Unit Award

Meritorious Unit Commendation (Navy-Marine) Streamer.jpg

Streamer MUC Army.PNG

Meritorious Unit Commendation

Streamer FCDG.PNG

French Croix de Guerre 1914-1918

Streamer PPUC.PNG

Philippine Presidential Unit Citation

Streamer KPUC.PNG

Korean Presidential Unit Citation

VGCP Streamer.jpg

Vietnam Gallantry Cross

Streamer RVMUCCA.PNG

Vietnam Civil Actions Medal

Commanders

Secretary of the Navy

The Honorable Ray Mabus

Commandant

Gen James F. Amos

Assistant Commandant

Gen John M. Paxton, Jr.

Sergeant Major

SgtMajMarCor Micheal P. Barrett

Insignia

Eagle, Globe, and Anchor

Globeanchor.svg

United States Marine Corps flag

Flag of the United States Marine Corps.svg

The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea,[6] using the mobility of the United States Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States. The Marine Corps is a component of the United States Department of the Navy often working closely with naval forces for training, transportation, and logistics; however, the Marine Corps is a separate branch

Captain Samuel Nicholas formed two battalions of Continental Marines on 10 November 1775, in Philadelphia as naval infantry.[Since then, the mission of the Marine Corps has evolved with changing military doctrine and American foreign policy. The Marine Corps has served in every American armed conflict and attained prominence in the 20th century when its theories and practices of amphibious warfare proved prescient and ultimately formed the cornerstone of the Pacific campaign of World War II. By the mid-20th century, the Marine Corps had become the dominant theorist and practitioner of amphibious warfare.[ Its ability to rapidly respond on short notice to expeditionary crises gives it a strong role in the implementation and execution of American foreign policy.

In 2010, the United States Marine Corps had just under 203,000 active duty Marines and just under 40,000 reserve Marines.[2] It is the smallest of the United States Armed Forces in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The United States Coast Guard is smaller, about one-fifth the size of the Marine Corps, but is part of Dept. of Homeland Security and does not normally operate under the DoD except during declared war. The Marine Corps is nonetheless larger than the armed forces of many significant military powers; it is larger than the active duty Israel Defense Forces and the active duty British Army, for example.